Giants receiver has plenty of motivation

EAST RUTHERFORD – Of the numerous tattoos Corey Washington has gotten through the years, the one that means the most remains unfinished.

The "G" on the upper right arm of the Giants' rookie wide receiver is there in memory of his cousin, G-Vonne, who at the age of 6 drowned in the swimming pool of an apartment complex four years ago in his native South Carolina.

Upon scoring the game-winning touchdown in the Hall of Fame Game on a 73-yard strike from Ryan Nassib on Sunday, Washington pointed to the sky in celebration.

"I got it last year, but it's not done," Washington said before Thursday's practice, lifting the sleeve of his T-shirt in pride to reveal that symbol of his greatest source of inspiration. "I'm supposed to get some clouds and angels. I've got to get financially stable before I can afford to complete it, so it's another part of my motivation. 'G' and my family will always be my motivation, for the rest of my life."

Washington, 22, is doing his best to represent them well since joining the Giants when they claimed the undrafted free agent on the waiver wire in May after Arizona released him.

At 6 feet 4 and 214 pounds, Washington brings size to a group of receivers that lacks it.

He signed a letter of intent to play in the Southeastern Conference at Arkansas, only to find out he did not have enough credits from junior college due to an NCAA academic loophole and was ruled ineligible. He ended up playing the last two seasons and catching 22 touchdowns at Division II Newberry College, which lists its total undergraduate enrollment at 1,042.

There were 22 times as many people in the stands at Canton's Fawcett Stadium when Washington out-jumped one Buffalo cornerback, took the football off his helmet, and out-ran another to the end zone.

"That was great," Washington said with a smile. "This is a chance to show the coaches what I have so I can make that 53-man roster."

Added Nassib: "After he went up and caught it, he came down and ran all the way in for a touchdown. That's hard to do on a play like that, so major props to Corey."

Washington has opened eyes in training camp, as have others like Marcus "Soup" Harris, who spent last season with the Giants on the practice squad.

With first-round pick Odell Beckham Jr. sidelined for most of training camp with a sore hamstring – coach Tom Coughlin and Beckham believe he is "getting close" to returning – there have been opportunities to impress within the Giants' new West Coast offense.

Super Bowl XLVI hero Mario Manningham and Jerrel Jernigan have been slowed by knee injuries, so Washington and Harris are making the most of snaps they likely might not have received if that duo was healthy.

"You do sit up and notice when you see it," Coughlin said, referring to Washington's length. "Because you think, 'Can he take the ball off the top of the defender?' And Corey just showed that he could."

While it is more likely Washington is added to the practice squad, a few more plays like the one he delivered in his professional preseason debut and the Giants might have no choice but to keep him around on the active roster. Washington knows that if he shows he can play, he will stay.

He closed practice Thursday night in the two-minute drill by hauling in another long touchdown pass — this time with his fingertips and between two defenders — racing the rest of the way for the score.

"My grandmother told me, 'Don't come back to Charleston,' " Washington said with a laugh. "I don't want to go back without doing them proud. I want to be here."